The following is an excerpt from Part 2 of my March newsletter. If you would like to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, you can do so in the box to the right on the sidebar.
I am
safely back in Kyiv and I appreciate your prayers as I had quite an
interesting trip. Because Ukraine is so far away, I have to change
planes in Western Europe and this meant a night in a hotel room. I woke
up at 5am and rushed outside to catch the bus to the airport and was
met with what could only be called a "Seinfeldian scene." About fifteen
Africans were holding up the bus to the airport with about 30 pieces of
large luggage. One woman had a cute little sleeping baby strapped to
her back. Half of the Africans and luggage were on the bus which had
the luggage holds completely filled. The rest of the luggage was strewn
about the sidewalk and everyone, including the driver was screaming at
the top of their lungs. At the back of the bus sat two miserable
looking passengers too afraid to do anything but look at me miserably
through the window and send me telepathic signals not to get involved.
This was all happening at 5:45am in the morning. After about 3 minutes
of watching this and then watching the bus pull away with half the group
left behind as they continued to scream and throw their luggage around,
I realized that I probably wouldn't be getting on the next bus. So, now
I had to make an executive financial decision so I wouldn't miss my
flight. I headed indoors to have the hotel call me a cab. The hotel
workers told me the group was trying to hijack the bus and get it to go
to different airport an hour away!
Once at the airport, security found my carry on that I have been using
as a standard size bag for six years "too big," even though it is within
the size limitations listed by my airline on my ticket. They made me
check it. I was then informed I had to pay an extra $60 for this extra
security I was providing for them. I was in near tears as I had already
had to pay for an extra checked bag and did not have the extra money to
spare, but no grace was going to happen this early in the morning.
Then the lady punched her computer and told me that the computer would
not accept a fee for my bag, and since she didn't know what to do, she
let my bag get checked for free. Nowadays, computers are kinder than
customer service agents!
I then headed to a different security gate to avoid the very grumpy
agents. After entering the security area, I was told get in the "family
security line" which is a special line for people traveling with large
amounts of children. Now, as you all know, I LIKE children, but I could
see shorter security lines behind the guard with very travel smart,
business type people who know how to go through security really quickly
without having to unpack all the juice to be dumped and slowly get their
four children to take off all their clothes and shoes so they could be
patted down like convicts. I asked if I could get in one of those lines
as I stared at them lingeringly. "NO." "But I'm not a family. I'm
single! I don't have any children. There's only one of me." "NO! GET IN
THIS FAMILY LINE!"
An hour and a half after I had left the hotel, which was located right
next to the airport, I actually entered the passenger waiting area.
Why do I share all this? Hopefully to make you laugh. But I realized
as I sat down drained, to wait for my flight to be announced, that all
this crazy stuff is the details. They are details of what I go through
to get to the bigger picture. The bigger picture is being able to be in
Ukraine. The bigger picture is to be able to help young moms change
their lives for the better. The bigger picture is to help orphans have a
chance to grow through sports. The bigger picture is to tell babushki
in the market that Jesus loves them and hand them a loaf of bread when
they are hungry. The bigger picture is advocating for orphans and at
risk children. When I take my eyes off of the details of the hassles I
am going through, then could see the bigger picture that God has for me.
Whatever crazy hassles you are going through today, know that God has a
bigger picture for you. I encourage you to take your eyes off of the
crazy and inane details and put your eyes on Him! Put your hope in him,
not in the stupid details whirling around you.
"I will lift up my eyes to the
hills, from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made
heaven and earth.".......Psalm 121 1,2 (NKJV)
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